We all know a bit of Latin. Even if you don’t believe me, you are no exception!

You probably already know that Latin was the language of the ancient Romans. However, were you aware that the name of the language can be traced back to present-day Lazio, the region where Rome is located? At the time of the Roman Empire it was called Latium.

Thanks to the unstoppable expansion of the empire, Latin became the official language in large parts of Europe and northern Africa, in addition to Greek, of course. When the Roman Empire fell, its dialects fragmented into the Romance languages that many of us speak and learn today. But Latin itself didn’t completely disappear. It continued to be used in fields such as science, politics and religion, which is why many Latin expressions still exist in the 21st Century.

How many of these would you recognize? Here’s a list of 15 of my favorite Latin expressions and their precise origins:

15. Alea iacta est

Literal meaning: “The die is cast.”

Imagine Julius Caesar crossing the river Rubicon. What, you can’t? Well, it was a symbolic act that basically commenced the Second Civil War in the Roman Republic. And there was no way back. This expression means that we have passed the point of no return.

You just handed in your exam? Well, alea iacta est.

14. Alter Ego

Literal meaning: “The other I”

“The other I” — a different person with a completely different personality. The term was coined in the 20th century, when psychologists discovered dissociative identity disorder. A person with an Alter Ego is a person who leads a double life… but it’s no excuse to behave badly and then blame the “other you”!

13. Ante meridiem / Post meridiem

Literal meaning: “Before midday / after midday”

You probably know these terms by their abbreviations: “a.m.” and “p.m.” I know, this article is going to reveal the meaning of so many acronyms you will feel like you finally understand a bigger part of your own language. In this case, you finally get to understand your alarm clock’s language!

12. Ars longa, vita brevis

Literal meaning: “Art is long, life is short.”

A fancy guy with a fancy name, Hippocrates of Kos, and also a fancy job — he is considered the father of modern medicine — once said this. It indicates the effort and dedication required to make something sublime that will last forever, whereas the life of the human accomplishing the task is brief.

11. Carpe Diem

Literal meaning: “Seize the day”

Horace said this in the First Century B.C, before Drake rephrased it into “YOLO” in the 2010s.

10. Cave Canem

Literal meaning: “Beware of the dog”

The “Cave Canem” inscription was first found in Pompeii, the Roman city that was buried in ash after Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. The “beware of the dog” sign was written at the entrance to one of the houses. We humans haven’t changed that much, have we?

9. Cogito, ergo sum

Literal meaning: “I think, therefore I am.”

This phrase was first uttered by the mathematician, philosopher and scientist René Descartes (1596-1650). This fundamental proposition of Western philosophy has become one of the most famous statements in history, together with “no TV and no beer make Homer go crazy.”

8. Delirium Tremens

Literal meaning: “Off the furrows” + “Trembling”

Coined in 1813 by British physician Thomas Sutton, Delirium Tremens is the medical term for withdrawal syndrome from alcohol. This is where the phrase “being delirious” comes from.

7. Errare humanum est

Literal meaning: “To err is human.”

This phrase has been repeated over and over since ancient times, since failure is a constant feature throughout history. The author credited with this famous statement is Cicero, a Roman politician and lawyer. The full sentence, “errare humanum est, sed perseverare autem diabolicum” (anyone can err, but only the fool persists in his fault) is basically the “epic fail” of Roman times.

Here’s a theoretical conversation between two ancient Roman friends:

“Darn! It’s pouring rain and I am wearing my sandals again.”

“No worries, mate. Errare humanum est.“

6. Exempli gratia

Literal meaning: “For example”

Finally, you have discovered where the shortening “e.g.” come from! Once again, with those abbreviations.

5. Id est

Literal meaning: “It is”

The natural follow-up: If you get “i.e.” confused with “e.g.” knowing the full Latin phrases can help you differentiate.

4. Memento mori

Literal meaning: “Remember that you will die.”

This phrase comes from a rather peculiar custom back in Ancient Rome. When the Emperor was celebrating a victory with a parade, a servant would whisper in his ear “memento mori” to remind him that he was human, not a God. This servant was probably the first party pooper of all times.

Nowadays, this concept is used in art and literature to represent the fleeting nature of life.

3. Requiescat in pace

Literal meaning: “Rest in Peace”

And you thought “R.I.P.” came from English? Come on!

2. Veni, vidi, vici

Literal meaning: “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

Another very famous phrase attributed to Julius Caesar, after he achieved a very quick victory in a short war. Also very eligible to be tattooed, together with Carpe Diem or YOLO.

1. Verba volant, sed scripta manent

Literal meaning: “Spoken words fly away, written words remain.”

This phrase, that actually sounds pretty romantic, was said by Caius Titus to the Roman Senate addressing the problem of oral agreements, because he believed official things had to be written down.

Now that you know where these abbreviations and phrases come from, what are you waiting for? Start a game of trivia and show off some of your newly acquired, meticulous classic knowledge! Roll the dice, alea iacta est!

Unfortunately, Latin is a dead language. Learn to speak a living language instead!

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Latin never died, it just mutated into dozens of new languages and dialects — like Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, French, Occitan, Italian and Romanian— and the connection among them tells a fascinating story going back 2000 years.

Cristina Gusano started to speak before she could walk, and some would testify that she’s never stopped since. She’s lived in Berlin since 2011 and joined Babbel as a writer in 2015. Rather than emailing, she sends “old-school” letters to her family and friends and likes to sing while riding her bicycle. Follow me on Twitter.

Cristina Gusano started to speak before she could walk, and some would testify that she’s never stopped since. She’s lived in Berlin since 2011 and joined Babbel as a writer in 2015. Rather than emailing, she sends “old-school” letters to her family and friends and likes to sing while riding her bicycle. Follow me on Twitter.